[DiGRA UK] Call for Abstracts - A Symposium on Neurodiversity and Games

[Lisanne Meinen]

Everybody Plays: A Symposium on Neurodiversity and Games

We invite you to participate in our symposium on neurodiversity and games on September 16th, 2022 in Antwerp. This symposium brings together researchers, game industry professionals, and healthcare experts (both experts by experience and care workers) to examine and discuss neurodivergence, games, and play. Papers will be presented, games will be demonstrated, and a panel discussion will critically examine the therapeutic potential of videogames.

The symposium takes places at the R Building of the Stadscampus (Rodestraat 14 2000 Antwerp), University of Antwerp. We are aiming at an in-person conference with a hybrid option.
We welcome abstracts from researchers across the arts and humanities, the social sciences, computer science and engineering, and medical fields, as well as from experts by experience, artists and creative practitioners, game industry professionals, and advocacy groups.

Anyone can apply for the paper session or interactive exhibition and is free to provide an academic or non-academic angle. Researchers who are not necessarily researching games, but who can provide foundational insights into fields with a reasonable connection (e.g., other forms of media, play in a more general sense) which may be extrapolated to the field of game research are also welcome. We highly encourage junior researchers to apply.

Your proposal does not need to conform to strict academic standards. We invite contributions in various forms. Possible topics include:


  *   ​accounts of gaming experiences (e.g., modding, inclusive game spaces)
  *   representations of neurodiversity (e.g., the use of colours, sounds and
music, visual effects)
  *   perspectives on storytelling
  *   game design (e.g., accessibility, game mechanics, game settings)
  *   best practices in development of games
  *   game analysis (e.g., critical discussion of features such as the game assist
mode in Celeste or the lack of difficulty options in Dark Souls)
  *   development requirements (e.g., ethical recommendations, accessibility)
  *   accounts on evolution and future outlook (e.g., how have old standards
been improved, if at all?)

These topics may be the subject of previously published work on related topics, or may be drawn from work in progress. Presentations should be 15 minutes long and will be followed up by a 15 minute Q&A. In the continuous interactive exhibition (accompanied by written or verbal explanations), conference attendees can engage more interactively with submissions such as videogames, artworks, or posters. Please indicate in your submission whether your proposal is intended for a presentation or the exhibition. We would like to ensure that anyone who wants to participate in the symposium is able to do so. If you have any specific questions about accessibility options, please do not hesitate to contact us.



We invite you to submit an abstract of max. 500 words in English or Dutch on any of these or related topics by May 27, 2022. Please send your abstracts in .pdf format to neurodiversityandgames at gmail.com<https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/conferences/neurodiversity-and-games/call/neurodiversityandgames@gmail.com> and include a short statement with your name, contact info and affiliation details (current position if applicable) in your email.  Acceptance of abstracts will be communicated by the end of June after which you will have one week to confirm your participation. We will send out more detailed information on the programme over the course of the summer. In the meantime, you can check our website<https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/conferences/neurodiversity-and-games/> or twitter<https://twitter.com/NDandgames> for more information.
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